There are so many ways to Twitter from the iPhone – via SMS, via the web, or via a Twitter app. Currently I switch between two Twitter applications for the iPhone – Twinkle and Twitterrific. I’d much rather only use one application, but am stuck using both for now. Here’s a comparison chart (based on my experience) to explain why:

Twinkle

Twitterrific

Features

Style

Design makes it easier to scan

Clean interface but slower to scan

When posting fails

You get an error message & need to retry

Message goes poof

Location Aware

Yes – though I’d rather turn "Nearby" off

No

Cost

Free

Ad supported or Paid

Images in Tweets

Yes – take photo or use existing

Yes, use existing only – though I’ve yet to post one due to issue #2

Reply features

Easier to send direct messages ; replying not as intuitive though

Interface doesn’t make it easy to send direct messages ; icons used for reply functions

Navigation

Single click to view message

Double click to view message (a little annoying)

Links

Open in new browser window

Open in embedded nav window (so you never leave the app – faster)

Speed

Opens quickly & scans quickly

Can drag if you’re scrolling

User Profiles

Shows profile & many of the latest tweets

Shows profile & followers, but no stream of tweets

Issues

Was showing me DMs by people I don’t follow. There were profiles I did not want to see. Unknown if this is fixed.

Tends to crash a lot.

Neither application makes it very easy to click to people’s profiles that you don’t subscribe to (to follow @name links) or to follow new users. The photo features keep me locked into Twinkle, while the embedded browser keeps me locked into Twitterrific.

It’s day 5 of the major renovation of our floor. As I mentioned in my previous post, we hit a few snags in the demolition process. We ended up having to re-build the majority of the stairs and to grind down the concrete of the entrance. The whole process of demolition, plus these details, set us back a full day in the process. Today they began laying down the bamboo floor in the living room and part of the dining room:

Our house is a dusty mess right now. But it’s great to feel that things are happening. I love love love the new stairs! I hated the design of the previous ones – though they flowed nicely, the sharp edge was just an accident waiting to happen. Here’s a before / after (well, so far).

The stairs were also not to code because the railing had been removed, so that will go in later next week. But now that whole corner has much more room – it was essentially un-usable before.

The renovation has begun! Over the weekend Ianiv stripped our fireplace of its brick facade and packed away all our furniture. And yesterday a crew came in to begin the demolition process.

Within a couple of weeks, the sandstone tile you see in the photos will be replaced with bamboo! As you can see from the left photo, it was sadly in need of removal. Just sucks up all the dirt!

Already the process has been labor intensive. Yesterday, two people spent the entire day removing the tile from 4 stairs, part of the entry area, and the kitchen. It didn’t take long to find issues though! The entry is concrete, not subfloor like we thought. And the stairs were built up using the wrong materials. So we’ll need to strip things and replace them, with our costs going up of course. It hasn’t been mentioned yet, but I think we’ll have to replace the subfloor below the tiles too. The jackhammer is just chewing it up.

So, the process has begun and I’m already looking forward to the end! Our cats are locked up for the duration of the demolition. During the day they stay in my office, and at night in our bedroom. They’re a little stir crazy already, but dealing better than expected.

Take a bunch of teenagers, a bunch of Lucky beer, and a mountain. And this is what you get:

Drunk teenagers driving up Mount Maxwell on Salt Spring Island. They ‘announced’ their arrival by driving into/onto a boulder at the edge of the parking lot. Lovely, no?

Random fact: did you know that Cumberland, BC is the "Luckiest Town in Canada"? In 2002, Labatt gave this honor to Cumberland based on the incredible rate of consumption of this beer – it took up a whole wall of the local liquor store. [wiki] I lived in Royston at the time, right next to Cumberland. I have never consumed Lucky Beer.

On the weekend I went to Salt Spring Island with my mother-in-law, Dora, and sister-in-law, Tamara. We stayed at a little bed & breakfast within walking distance of Ganges Village.

On the way to the island, I did a phone interview with Matt Czuchry, who was an actor on Gilmore Girls. It was a little stressful given that my cell coverage kept dropping out and my recording picked up so much interference, but it was fun! You can read the first part of the interview here.

As soon as we arrived to Salt Spring we drove to Salt Spring Island Bread to see the bread lady, Heather. We bought an obscene amount of bread from her – from sweet focaccia to onion bread to chocolate walnut bread. Tasty. And what’s bread without cheese? So, we then drove to Salt Spring Island Cheese to taste and load up on a variety of goat cheeses. And then to the Salt Spring Vineyards for a wine tasting – the blackberry port is amazing!

After a late dinner and a dip in the hot tub, while drinking wine & eating bread, of course, we called it a night! The next day we primarily spent at the Saturday Market, shopping the stalls, trying the foods and enjoying the beautiful day. We had an amazing lunch at the Tree House Cafe. Later that afternoon we drove up Mount Maxwell to check out the view.

Sunday was rainy, but we made good use of our time by going on the Studio Tour. Or, at least part of it. It’s a self-directed tour to some of the artisans who live on the Island. That kept us busy all day until we wrapped up our trip and came back to Vancouver.

We were recently invited (thanks Darren!) to the grand re-opening of the Future Shop in West Vancouver. The store was revamped to follow the new "hub" concept. Future Shop, which was bought by Best Buy in 2001, is currently Canada’s largest consumer electronics retailer (wiki).

The grand re-opening included a red carpet, a catered assortment of snacks, wine & even gift bags. Despite the untimely breakdown of the A/C it was a great event and a chance to look around the new store concept. Although the store is mostly the same, there are a few new changes. Primarily you notice this in layout – with sections spiraling off a central hub, and with the addition of the integrated Apple Store.

So, will this new store concept have a positive impact on the bottom line? It’s hard to say. I think for those people already shopping at Future Shop, it will improve the experience and offer more products. However, I’m not sure I’d be compelled to go to Future Shop vs Best Buy. And if I were in the market for a Mac, I’d shop at Apple. That said, I think having an integrated Apple Store will go a long way to upselling customers who are looking for laptops but have not pre-decided on a mac.